Classic and Specialist Car Club Of Northern New South Wales hosts The Great Eastland Hub Rally in Armidale

Classic pride and joy on show: gallery

For forty-two years owners of historic motor vehicles have been gathering to take part in The Great Eastland Hub Rally.

This year the host of the event is The Classic and Specialist Car Club Of Northern New South Wales which is based in Armidale.

“The event will take place over a long weekend from Friday, October 20 to Monday, October 23,” said publicity officer Bronwyn Partridge.

“We will welcome around one hundred and fifty rally entrants to the area.”

The inaugural class car rally was hosted by Taree Historic Motor Club on the October long weekend in 1972 and was attended by clubs from Taree, Tamworth and Coffs Harbour.

“The rally was a bi-annual event based in Taree up until 1978 when the Hub was formed,” said Mrs Partridge.

“The rally then became The Great Eastland Rally when it was hosted by Tamworth in 1980 and sponsored by Great Eastland Television which was based in Tamworth.”

Great Eastland Hub Rally hosting clubs include the Coffs Harbour Veteran and Vintage Car Club, Hastings Auto Restorers Society Inc. Tamworth and District Antique Motor Club, Great Lakes Historic Automobile Club and The Classic and Specialist Car Club of Northern NSW.

“Each of these clubs takes turns to host the rally on a rotation system each year, and all will be represented at this year’s rally,” Mrs Partridge said.

The vehicles that are driven in the rally were manufactured before 1988 and can carry full NSW registration or RMS NSW historic Vehicle Conditional Registration with a logbook option. Some of the cars on display will include a 1929 deSota Sedan; a 1929 Oakland Tourer ; a 1964 Lotus Roadster ; a 1968 Holden Utility ; a 1959 Oldsmobile; a 1924 Amilcar and a 1934 Packard Coupe.

Rally Headquarters will be at Armidale Bowling Club and cars will begin to arrive from 4.30pm on Friday for rally registration.

The historic vehicles will be on display in Armidale Bowling Club car park on Friday between 4.30pm and 6 pm; Saturday between 9am and 1.30pm when they will depart in convoy for Hillgrove Rural Museum where they will be on display from 2 pm until 3.30pm.

On Sunday at 8.30am the cars will depart in convoy for Walcha via The Bypass to Uralla then through Kentucky to the Walcha Mountain Festival at Langford Homestead.

“We would like to welcome members of the public to come along to admire this magnificent collection of motor vehicles,” said Mrs Partridge.

“ Some of the cars are lovingly restored, and others are in original condition. Have a chat to their proud owners as you are dazzled by the highly polished chrome in the lovely spring sunshine.

“Our members will be only too pleased to discuss with you the joys and pitfalls of restoring a piece of motoring history and the pleasure of driving your restored pride and joy on outings in a friendly club atmosphere among other motoring enthusiasts.”